I've decided to start my survey of the great RPGs released in Macromedia Flash with this decidedly old school Phantasy Star-style game created by Snails Animation. So far only two chapters of the game have been finished, but they're really very good. Chapter 3 is out in a "barebones" version that lacks dialog, items hidden in barrels, and various bug fixes, but it's not clear when it'll be done.
Chapter 1 begins with the hero, Max Mesiria, at a pier saying goodbye to his father as he prepares to board a ship for the University of Esnel. This chapter is a bit slow-moving as far as the plot goes, but it's really just supposed to introduce you to the gameplay. This Chapter features some rather light puzzle-solving and battles with unfriendly wildlife. Although Chapter 1 doesn't have the same graphical splendor as its sequel, it's still quite apparent that everything is hand-animated, and animated well at that.
Chapter 2 is where things start to get really good. Max finally makes it to civilization, meaning that there is some opportunity for fun character interactions. The art in this installment is simply gorgeous, and the plot thickens in a most intriguing way. Combat is more enjoyable and the puzzles are more numerous and challenging. All in all, this chapter is quite satisfying, and provides one of the better RPG experiences I've had so far in Flash. (A tip, by the way, for the first boss: don't fight it until you're at least level 8.)
Mesiria Chapter 3 is in a state of limbo. Released in a halfway-finished state in late December 2007, Snails Animation has twice delayed releasing a finished version. Last I heard from them, Snails Animation was delaying release until the end of January, citing financial difficulties. January has come and gone, and there's still no word on the finished game. Here's hoping they come up with a finished version soon!
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